orphaned mouse in pain?

Question

Despero first day  

Despero day 7   I have an orphaned mouse that is just starting to open his eyes and I have had him for a week. He acts like he is in pain sometimes. He runs around crazy and squeaking sometimes when I try to do the belly massage and help him poop. Sometimes he does it when he is in his box and I am not touching him. He is still pooping and it is very runny most of the time. What could the problem be and what can I do to help him? Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Sara,

What are you feeding him? If it is from dairy or formulated for humans it is not the right thing. He should be on kitten milk (kmr) diluted by half with an electrolyte solution like pedialyte.

I don't know the story of his rescue or discovery; but if you simply found him, you don't know whether something traumatic happened, during which he could have incurred internal injuries; or whether his mom even abandoned him on purpose because he was not healthy. So there could be a number of unhappy possibilities.

Or it could be some kind of gastrointestinal distress due to his diet.  Although not every pup is fed with the diluted KMR, if there is any hint of health problems, whether bloat, dehydration, or diarrhea, it is the best thing to try.


Keep me posted... I hope the problem is diet and can be alleviated. These little guys are so delicate, and it is very hard to be a mouse mommy.

Squeaks,

Natasha